Fruit container



Feb. 13, 1923.

E. C. BRYAN.

FRUIT CONTAINER.

FILED DEC. 24,1921

Fig. Z,

n stood after reference to up container. l Figure 3 shows a sectionalong the longi`-` Ylmeteir'ted Feb. "i3, i923.,

EUGENE eoEnEnr entran, 0E ErssnunEE, FLORIDA.

FRUIT CONTAINER.

Application filed December 24, 1921. Serial No. 524,651.

tion of the invention, such as will enabley Vothers skilled in the artto which tains to make and use the same.

` My present invention relates to improveit apperments in fruitcontainers, and it is `intended to provide a container for grapefruit crother fruit in which the fruitwill be protected against being bruised orinjured in any way, and may be properly ventilated and may be inspectedas to condition, preservation or the like without tampering with thepackage; and in which the package may be efl'ectually sealed and keptsealed until it is desired to open same at the place of delivery. n

My invention is especially intended to provide a. cheap, simple andefficient container which may be used in shipping fruitv in smallpackages by parcel post, or eX- press, and which packages may be madecheap enough to be thrown away after the same have been delivered, ormay be returned for further luse if desired.

My present invention relates more especially to an improvement onormodification of the arrangement shown in my earlier application filedOctober 12, 1921, Ser. No. 507193, and entitled Improvements in fruitcontainer. i

My invention will be more fully underthe accompanying drawings, in whichlike 'parts are indicated by similar reference symbols throughout the'several views, and in which Figure l is a plan view of the blank whichconstitutes the container bodyI when laid down in a fiat condition.

Figure Qis a perspective view of the set-` tudinal axis vof thecontainer; and

the fastening plates detached.

, A represents the container body which is' shown in Figure l in theform of a flat blank which may be made of wood veneer, cardboard, stileather, or any other suit# able light and flexible material. whichblank Figure flis a detail view showing one of is provided near itsopposite ends with perforations ct and a adapted to receive fasteningwires or strings. Since strings or cords made of textile material areapt to stretch and get loose, I prefer to use as a fastening means lightmetal wire, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

B and B represent two disks preferably made of wood or cardboard, orother light material sufliciently rigid to give the requisite stiffnessto the package when the parts are in the `assembled relation.

D and D represent two fastening plates to whichthe loops of thelongitudinal fastening wires are adapted tobe connected. These platesare preferably made of thin resilient metal, and have oppositelydisposed clips or prongs fl and d stamped out thereof. These prongs arepreferably cut away at their bases, as at d", not only to facilitate thespringing of the prong outward, but also to afford notches to engage thefastening wire.

The fastening'wires for holding in the heads comprise two double loops Eand E which are symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of thecontainer whichthe parts are in the assembled relation. Each loop `hasone of its endsas e fastened to the prong of the corresponding' plate,and the free end e is then rove through the perfora tions a and a andback again throueh the adjacentperforations. and is secured tothe sameprong as the ende.

The other wire E. has its ends preferably fastened to the oppositeprongal of the same plate D in a similar way, and its loop is adapted toengagethe prong cllof the plate D, so that when the two wire loops andthe corresponding fastening plates and heads are in the assembledrelation, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the fastening plates hold the wirestautl and hold the heads in place 'against outward displacement. The.contents of the package take care of any in ner movementof the heads. 4i

As va further 4fastening means I attach one or more circumferentialwires F, having their ends twisted together, as at f, which tightlyengage the package circumferentially and prevent the body portion frombeing extended outwardly. These circumferent-ial wires add stiffness andstrength to the package.

.In assembling the parts, the body member 'or 'circumferential shell oftbe package is shaped around the disks B and B', prefer-y ably leavingan opening between the adjacent edges of the body portion, as shown atG, through which the f ruit H, or other con-- tents of the package, maybe seen when the package is sealed, but Without breaking the package.The circumferential binding, such as F, is then applied; The loops E andE and the corresponding plates may be previously attached to the bodyportion, or may be subsequently att-ached, as desired.

l? or `purposes of filling, one of the heads may be taken out and thepackage filled, the missing head is ,then inserted and the corre-`spending fastening plate put in place, and the loop of the oppositelongitudinal Wire slipped over the free prong of the said plate, thuseffectual-ly holding both heads in place and closing the package.

If desired a seahind-icated in dotted lines at l, may be ,attached tothe heads so 4that the package can not be surreptitiou'sly openedWithout the fact being knoiyn.

ln `order to open the package, break the yseal and pry out the Wire loopyfrom the corresponding prong of one of the fastening plates, remoresaid plate and slip out lthe adjacent head `and one end of the packagewill be completely opened. lt will be seen that the parts may be.replaced as lbefore and thel package yused lover again in the assem-Abled relation, or the' pack-age may be knocked down and re-sh-i-p-pedfor further use.

`It will .be obvious `that various mod-ifications might be made in theherein described construction and in the combination and arrangement'ofV parts which could ybe used Without departing from the spirit of myinvention-f; and l do not mean to limit the invention to such detailsexcept as particularly pointed ont in :th .cl-aims.

ln the claims lEl iave used the .terni Wires `for brevity, meaningthereby any `flexible fastening means such as steel or l`brass fwire,cord or string :of any kind, Which -is suitable -for Vthe purpose oflproviding a flexible fastening m'eans lto engage `the exterior of :theycontainer and to hold `the same against lateral 'expansion andv also`to hold Ethe `heads in place.

. Having thus described my invention What 1l claim and ydesire 1tosecure .by Letters Pat ent eef the 4United states is si;-

1. A container 'Comprising abody member 'in the forniof a blank adapted:to be rolled finto substantially Vcylindrical for-1n, said `body portonbeing perforated to permit the insertion of a fastening Wire 'or string,stiffeniiig heads in the form .of circular disks enclosed in said bodymember near the ends thereof, Wires rove through said fholes and formingdouble loops extending laxially of said odiati/ailier and fon lltl'ije.exto/rer thereof, and f g plateshavingfoppositely idis- `iaiaizio posedresilient clips stamped. therefrom, said clips being adapted to engagethe loops in said wires, substantially as described.

2. A container comprising a body menr ber in the forni of a blankadapted to be rolled into substantially cylindrical. form, said bodyportion being perforated to permit the insertion of a fastening Wire orstring, stilfening heads in the form of circular disks enclosed in saidbody member near the ends thereof, Wiresrove through said holes andforming double loops extending axially of said container and on theexterior thereof, and fastening plates having oppositely disposedresilient clips stamped therefrom, said clips being adapted to4 engagethe loops in said Wires, with Wires secured circumferentially over saidcontainer` and holding the body member against expansion laterally,substantially .as described,

3. A container comprising a body member in the form of a blank adaptedto be rolled into substantially cylindrical form, said body portionbeing perforated to permit the insertion of a fastening Wire or string,Wires rove through said holes and forming double loopsV extendingaxially of said container and on the exterior thereof, and fasteningplates having oppositely disposed resilient clips stamped therefrom,said clips being ladapted to engage the loops in. said Wires,substantially as described;

Ll. A container comprising a body inember in the form of a blank adaptedto be rolled into substantially cylindrical form, said body portionbeing perforated to permit the insertion of a fasten-ing Wire or string,Wires -roye through said holes and forming double loops extendingaxially of said container and on ythe exterior thereof, and fasteningplates having oppositely disposed resilient clips stamped therefrom.,said clips being adapted to engage the loops in. said Wires, with Wiressecured circumferentially over said container, and holding the bodymember against expansion laterally, substantially `as described.

5. A container comprising a body inem- )ber in the form lof a blankadapted to be rolled into substantially cylindrical forni, said bodyportion being .perforated to permit the insertion of a fastening Wire orstr-ing, stiening heads in the form of cir- @said "container, andVholding A.the body member against expansion laterally, snbstentielly asdescribed.

6. A container comprising n. body member in the form el. e blanklMlepted to be rolled into substantially cylindrical form, said bodyportion being perforated to permit the insertion of e fastening Wire orstring', stjflenng heads in the form of crcnler disks enclosed in seidbody member neer the ends thereof, Wires rove through seid holes andforming donble loops extending1 axially of seid container and on the eX-teror thereof, end Ineens 'For deteenebly connecting' the adjacent loopset eeeh end of the package, substantially es described.

7. A container comprising a body member in the form, of e blank adaptedte he rolled into snbstmntielly oyl'indrcrd torni, seid body portionbeing perforated to permit the `insertion of e :fastening Wire orstring, stilening heads in the form of circuler disks enclosed in seidbody member neer the ends thereof, wires rove through seid holes endforming double loops extending axially of sind cmntene1 end on theexterior thereof, end means for deteehebly connecting' the adjacentloops et eneh end of the package. with Wires seenred crclnnercntellyover seid container7 end holding the body member against expansionlaterally, substantially as described.

EUGENE COLBERT BRYAN.

